Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County will continue to do all it can to help refugees coming to the area despite the elimination of its federal funding.
JFS is the only resettlement agency in Washtenaw County. Last year, they resettled people from over 20 countries.
The vetting process takes about two to four years and then the refugees are assigned to a specific area.
Jewish Family Services Chief Development Officer Melissa Goodson says that’s when they take over.
“What we love to help people be able to do is find housing, find food, placements for a job, schooling for children, helping them with some of their paperwork, get them on their feet for the sustainability that they need to start a new life in America.”
Goodson says the elimination of federal funding has been devastating. Over the past three months, 226 people have come to JFS from around the world, only to find out promised funds from the federal government would not be forthcoming.
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